Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sunday morning garden

Canada Day is here, but I will not be sallying forth to celebrate with the crowds. If it's dry enough, I'll sit on the deck to enjoy the garden.

The peonies are nearly over, and I'm pleased to have brought in bouquets of them during the past weeks, to enjoy while sitting at the table, and upon walking in the door.

It's good for peonies to be picked. They are so heavy that picking the early blooms lightens the branches so they retain the strength to hold the later blossoms as they come into flower.

Before they open, peony buds have tiny ants walking over them: in fact, some say that when there are no antson them, peony buds blacken and die.
Of course we don't want these critters in the house, so I give each bloom a big shake when I pick it, then watch while arranging the flowers to make sure there are no more stray ants.

Peonies come in pinks, whites and reds. Most of ours are pink, but we have some particularly fragrant white ones with red throats, and streaks of red on their outermost petals.